Email from Russia: American shreds to gold

US gold medalist Sage Kotsenburg poses with his medal on the podium of the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle event of the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 8, 2014 at the Sochi medals plaza.
(Photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC)

SOCHI, Russia – Sage Kotsenburg (who?) is the reason the Olympic Games are so irresistible.

Until this weekend, he was just another snowboard slopestyle guy who finished in the middle of the pack in competitions, just another shredder (he wrote, trying to sound like he knows anything about the sport), just another guy with dirty blond hair who looks and talks like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' slacker Jeff Spicoli.

And then, out of nowhere, he won America's first gold of these Sochi Games.

Afterward, he sounded more surprised than anybody. Among his tweets, "Whoa, how random is this I made the finals at the Olympics.''

I can say without reservation, thank God the competitions have begun. Now we can stop talking, at least for a few moments, about security concerns and slipshod hotels and funky toilets (which I haven't yet seen). We can stop talking about Irina Rodnina, who lit the flame just months after re-posting a tweet of a doctored picture of President Barack Obama being taunted by a banana, or the fact that one of the torch bearers happens to be President Vladimir Putin's gal-pal.

Now (we hope) it's going to be about the folks who really count, the athletes and their coaches, and the stories that they tell of sacrifice and commitment.

Let the real Games begin.

Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or email bob.kravitz@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BKravitz.